


The Lustre of Mid-Day

by Hekate1308



Series: Something You Somehow Haven't To Deserve [3]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Gen, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21953587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: It was the first Christmas since Dev had returned to them, and Win was determined to make it a good one.
Relationships: Endeavour Morse & Fred Thursday, Endeavour Morse & Joan Thursday, Endeavour Morse & Sam Thursday, Endeavour Morse & Win Thursday, Peter Jakes & Endeavour Morse
Series: Something You Somehow Haven't To Deserve [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548466
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas!

“Here’s the plan. I try and come at her from behind while you distract her, then we sit her down and get some tea into her.”

“The speed she’s going she’ll have you strangled with a piece of tinsel before she realized what’s going on” Joan answered quietly.

Dev having been called out to a last call before he went home for the night – which naturally translated to “Captain Thursday and Commander Jakes have to check this out together” – she and Sam had returned to their house to find Mum going slightly overboard with the decorations.

To put it mildly.

She couldn’t recall their home ever having been so – well, in the words of Charles Dickens, “Hung with Christmas.” And even now Mum was still decorating some more, humming a Christmas Carol _. In The Bleak Midwinter_ , if she wasn’t mistaken.

“We could always ask.”

“Thanks for volunteering, Joanie.”

She sighed. She really should have seen that coming.

“Hey, Mum. We’re home.”

She turned around, smiling at them. “Oh dear, I didn’t hear you come in – where’s Dev?”

“He and Peter had to check something out. But he said it was probably nothing, so he should be coming soon.”

“Good. Would you mind terribly checking on dinner? Sam’s taller, he can help me with these lights…”

“Yes, about that…” she said carefully. “Mum, it’s not that it’s not nice or anything, but don’t you think that’s more than enough decorations?”

“Oh no! It’s Dev’s first Christmas home in fifteen years – we have to make sure it’s a very merry one!”

Ah, so that was what this was about. She really could have guessed. “And God only knows how he spent those days when we didn’t remember” Mum continued, sounding suddenly very sombre.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it” she hastened to say, “Sam, why don’t you go and help Mum like she asked.”

She went to the kitchen, realizing that she had been a fool. These past weeks – talking about Christmas, laughing with Dev when Sam improvised a dance to one of Bach’s Oratorios, trying to get her big brother to _play Hark! The Herald Angels Sing_ when he preferred _Oh Come All Ye Faithful_ – she had never thought of The Lost Years, and how it must feel to finally be back home for the holidays.

Poor Dev. What if he had only been pretending to be cheerful all the time? The last thing she wanted was to make him feel guilty for not being as happy as he felt he should be.

Still, Mum had a point. They certainly had more reasons to celebrate than in earlier years.

* * *

“What gets me is the carelessness of it all” Peter said, fishing for a cigarette than remembering he as trying to quit once more. “I mean someone almost got hexed because they managed to grab something someone else wanted during _holiday shopping_.”

“You know how it is” Dev replied evenly, “This time of the year… nerves are all over the place.”

One way to put it.

“And this time at least nothing happened. Time to get home.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to –”

“I swear I am still full from two days ago.” Mrs. Thursday – _no, Win_ – usually insisted he stay for dinner if they showed up at the front door together.

Dev laughed, his usual laugh these days, happy and carefree and so much lighter than it had been for fifteen years. “Yes, well, you won’t be able to escape her forever. You’ll have to come over at least once more this week. And of course she won’t accept no when it comes to Christmas dinner.”

Peter had never had a Christmas family dinner before. If possible, he and Dev had spent the evening together, and once the Guard had been big enough, they’d privatized a Christmas party every year – Sally had shown a knack for it early on – but never something like this. He would have protested that he didn’t want to intrude but knew that would only lead to Dev being more insistent. He nodded.

Dev smiled. “Looks like it’s going to snow.”

And just in time for the last week before Christmas, too. Sometimes Peter really thought they were leading some form of enchanted life (not magical, _enchanted_. There was a difference, one that Dev had taken hours to explain early in their acquaintance).

* * *

Dev smiled as he saw the Christmas wreath Mum had hung on the door. He’d only rarely decorated for the holidays in the years between losing his family and getting them back; it had quickly become obvious that the sight only depressed him further. Things had gotten a little better once he’d met Peter and the Guard had been working properly, since he hadn’t been alone anymore, but even so, nothing could replace a Christmas at home.

The door had done nothing to prepare him for what he was about to see when he entered their home.

Dear God. He hadn’t even known they owned that many Christmas-related things.

He wouldn’t even have ben ready to see that there were so many in the entire city of Oxford.

“Hey, Dev. How do you like Winter Wonderland?” Joan swept into the hallway to greet him as he hung up his coat.

“Seems like Mum went above and beyond this year.”

“You can say that again.” She hugged him. “Come on.”

He found Mum and Sam in the kitchen. “Dev” his brother said, “Home before Dad? What are the odds.”

“Like I said, the call was nothing” he shrugged. “Some petty squabbling over a Christmas present, if you can believe it.”

“Dev” Mum smiled gently and hugged him a little more tightly and longer than was necessary, as had become her custom since he had returned. “You must be freezing! Why don’t you have some tea in the living room? I put on Christmas Carols.”

Of course she had, he thought as he thanked her with a smile.

Joan and Sam followed him into the living room, of course.

* * *

Fred came home half an hour later, and Win went to greet him. “Hello, love. The children are all at home.”

“With or without Peter?” It had become something of a running joke between them.

“Without him tonight. I’ll have that boy over soon, though; he’s much too thin still. Sometimes I think eh and Dev have too much in common when it comes to overworking themselves.”

“I think it’s safe to say they learned from one another, pet.” Fred was studying the decorations. “Weren’t those Mum’s?”

She beamed. “I found them in the attic.”

Dev’s laughter came drifting in from the living room.

They had been so close to losing him once more, such a short time ago…

“Oy, pet, he’s back with us now, where he belongs” Fred said, guessing her thoughts.

She nodded. “I just wish we’d never had to go through any of it.”

“Me too, but there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

That did nothing from stopping the nightmares, naturally. Fred knew they all had them on occasion. For Dev, it was learning that the spell could never be lifted; for Win, it was learning the truth after something terrible had happened to Dev so that he’d near know they had remembered him; Fred himself now and then woke up in a cold sweat from dreams where he hadn’t protected his child as well as he could have; and from what he’d overheard one night, he was rather sure Joan and Sam shared spectres of their older brother rejecting them once they remembered.

Still, those visions were a small price to pay for what they had gained.

Especially if Win had decided that they would have the merriest Christmas they ever had.

He hadn’t seen some of those garlands in decades. Hadn’t even known she’d kept them when they had moved.

He found the children in the living room, huddled close together as they usually were. Undoubtedly they were sharing anecdotes from their day.

“And then Mrs. Oliver tried to hex Miss Berry – nothing too bad, I would say, the magic was much too weak – but Peter almost went ballistic when he realised she wanted to make sure she didn’t remember wanting to buy the present –“

“We all have bad experiences with memory spells, Dev” Joan said, shuddering.

“Yes, but thankfully, only very few have enough power to cause serious damage. Not that I took it lightly; we only let them go after strongly reprimanding Mrs. Oliver.”

“Good” Joan said firmly.

“Hello there.”

“Hello Dad” the three chorused back to him.

“I think Mum may drag Peter into the house physically if you don’t take him with tomorrow” he told Dev.

“I expected something like that. Don’t worry I will.”

He nodded and squeezed his shoulder before slipping back into the kitchen.

It had started to snow. “Bet we are going to have three grown children throwing snowballs around before long.”

“Good for them. They all work so hard, the poor dears” she answered, sounding remarkably like she was expecting them to come stumbling in and demanding to be put down for a nap any moment. It worried Fred sometimes, he couldn’t deny that – made him wonder if perhaps Win hadn’t completely made the connection between the boy they had lost and the man they had found; but it was Christmas, and he’d be damned if he let his mood be ruined by such speculations.

Soon enough they were having family dinner once more, Joan’s eyes trailing to the window much more often than usual. These looks – and Fred’s suspicions – were justified soon after their meal was finished, with her deciding enough snow had fallen and dragging her brothers into the garden (with a short stop to get properly bundled up on Win’s insistence).

Fred lot his pipe and went to the back door to watch.

Just as he arrived, Dev ducked behind one of Win’s gardenias and made a circle with his hand.

In the next moment, Sam was hit square in the chest with a snowball that apparently came out of nowhere. “That’s unfair!” he complained. “Your magic is an unfair advantage and you know it!”

“Seems like Dev’s readier to use spells now” Fred told Win when she stepped up to him.

Understandably he had been very wary of using magic idly; but apparently that didn’t count when he made his siblings happy. Sam was laughing, after all, even if Dev was bending the rules.

“Good” Win said evenly, sipping her tea just as Joan managed to surprise Dev.

He answered by grabbing her and spoon they ended up tumbling in the snow. Sam quickly joined the heap.

Apparently, they then decided to call a truce since they began building a snowman.

Fred was rather sure Dev was suing his magic to gather the snow a little faster than he normally would have, but seeing the smile on his children’s faces, he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about.

“I’ll make some hot cocoa” Win decided “They’ll need it when they get back inside.”

And so he smiled and continued to watch.

* * *

“Oh, we forgot the hat and Dad’s old pipe…” Joan said when they were finished. Both of these things were kept in the garden shed for the express purpose of building snowmen.

Dev contemplate her words for a moment, then snapped his fingers. They appeared on the snow man.

“Hah. That’s so bloody practical.”

“I know” he grinned, contemplating their work.

Sam’s eyes were sparkling as he bumped his shoulder into Dev’s. “I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing. Let’s go inside; Mum’s sure to have out the cocoa on.”

He was right, of course, and so they repaired back into the kitchen where they found their parents.

Dev looked out the window at their creation and wondered when they had last built a snow man together – it must have been a few months before the spell was inflicted on them – then decided that it didn’t matter. He was home now; finally, home again and forever.

And soon, it would be Christmas.


	2. Chapter 2

The Guard Christmas party was in full swing. The Chairman had surprised all of them by showing up, but was looking on more benignly than Fred had ever seen him.

Dev had to make the rounds, of course – the Chairman was after all not the only non-member of the Guard who had chosen to celebrate with them. There were many people to be greeted and be given well wishes to while receiving theirs in return. Win was glowing with pride next to Fred, and he suspected his own expression looked somewhat similar.

“Good evening, Inspector.” Mrs. Waters stepped up to them. She had taken over the shop after her husband’s murder and, Dev had told them, was doing well.

“Mrs. Waters. My wife, Win”.

“Only too glad to meet the Captain’s mother” she said, shaking her hand. If she knew or suspected the whole truth, she didn’t let it on. Fred was glad for it; he knew Win had been through quite a bit when Dev first came into their lives. Nothing worse than other people gossiping and passing judgement without caring about the details.

“We were al very glad to hear the Captain had returned” she told them politely. “I know for a fact that more than one person prayed for him. He’s done so much for our community…”

Fred would have wondered if Win should hear this, but she was still smiling very happily. “We’re very proud.”

Mrs. Waters nodded and smiled, her eyes trailing over to Dev and Peter, who had naturally found each other. Joan and Sam weren’t far behind. “I love the Guard’s Christmas party. Look forward to every year. Last year Mark said…” she trailed off, an expression of pain on her face.

“I am very sorry for your loss” Wins aid quietly. “Dev told me.”

“He did everything he could – he caught the ones responsible. With the Guard and your help of course, Inspector” she turned to Fred, but he waved her thanks away.

“It was our duty.”

“Still it’s helped me and my daughter greatly.” She chuckled. “Between us, she has a bit of a crush on your son, I’m afraid. Hero worship and all of that.”

“Normal for a teenager” Win assured her and they continued to make small talk.

* * *

A part of Dev hadn’t believed anymore that he would ever see his family on a Guard party. It seemed almost incredibly even now.

But here they were, mingling with magic user and non-magic users alike. Even the Chairman had shown up, although he, as usual, kept to himself.

Now and then, he grew distracted by the sight of Sam laughing with a mavka or Joan talking about the decorations with Sally; Peter had noticed and stayed close to supply a few remarks when needed.

When he brought him a drink, Dev thanked him.

“You don’t have to, Dev. Anyone would be slightly… confused.”

He smiled at him.

“Look at that – your mother’s talking to Councilwoman Robbins. I’ll bet you a tenner that within a week, we’ll have a budget for a better diet in the cafeteria.”

Dev grinned. “I thought you liked our sandwich schedule.” By now, Mum always gave him one for Peter too; at first he’d tried to protest, but soon come to the same conclusion people inevitably did when it came to her – that there were some things she would not be deterred from, no matter what.

“You can say that again” he sighed, “If this goes on we’ll have to go clothes shopping.”

“You’re only just fitting into your suits again” Dev reminded him. One of the worst realizations of coming back from the spell Mnemosyne had placed on him had been that Peter had been close to falling apart at the seams and trying to hide it. Plus, Dev was rather disconcertingly sure that he would have reacted the same to losing his bets friend.

“Captain Thursday! Commander Jakes!”

They both winced when they heard the voice of Mr. Tomalin, who considered himself far more important than he was and had been heavily campaigning for a place on the Council lately. Not that the Chairman was likely to give him one. Well, technically the Council would have to vote, but they all knew who would make the decision.

Thankfully, this time, they were not alone. “Dev! Come here! There seems to be a shortage of punch…”

“Coming, Joanie”. He turned to Mr. Tomalin. “Sorry, but you know, the duties of an older brother…”

“And of course a commander always follows his captain” Peter said evenly and quickly hurried after him.

“Thank you so much” Dev told her.

She shrugged. “He already cornered me for ten minutes.”

“He did what –“

“Relax, it was about his campaign. Plus, he’s older than Dad. I can handle such guys fine by my own.”

“Doesn’t mean you should have to.”

Her eyes softened. “Thanks, Dev.” She grabbed his hand. “And now come on – time to dance – seriously, we’re supposed to have fun! It’s Christmas!”

“Not quite yet –“

“Close enough!”

To be fair, Dev reasoned with himself as she dragged him towards the dance floor, a bemused Peter following them, ever since he had truly come home, ever day had felt like Christmas.

* * *

“Fred Thursday, come here. You won’t let yourself be upstaged by your children, will you?”

He sighed and put out his pipe. “I am very sorry” he told Councilwoman Robbins, “But it seems I am needed on the dance floor.”

She laughed. “Of course. I have managed to get your son to dance with me a few times… he has to have it from somewhere, doesn’t he?”

And together, the Thursday family danced the night away.

* * *

The morning on Christmas Eve was bright and peaceful; the sun sparkled on the freshly fallen snow, and Win hummed _Hark! The Herald Angels sing_ to herself as she made breakfast, having decided to let everyone sleep. God knew they had all worked hard in the recent past, and it was Christmas. They all deserved a treat.

She had made sure they had Dev’s beloved blueberry jam; of course; and some time back, she had finally cajoled out of Peter that he really liked roast potatoes to his turkey. It hadn’t been easy, but when Win was determined, nothing could stop her.

Peter would stay the night, of course. No reason to turn his back on their house and return to his empty flat if he was going to come over tomorrow again anyway, was there?

“Good morning Mum, need any help?”

She turned around and smiled “Always the first to ask, Dev.”

“I am the first one up” he shrugged.

Secretly, Win was delighted. Mojitos like this reminded her of when it had just been her and her little boy; yes, they had been at war; yes, certain acquaintances had distanced herself after she had taken in the bastard child; yes, there had been a lot to fear and a lot to scary moments; and yet she wouldn’t have traded those memories for anything. Too small to even reach the kitchen counter, and yet he had been so delighted to run around and help mummy…

She cleared her throat so Dev wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes and assume the worst. “Why don’t you play something festive on the piano? That’d be nice.”

He grinned. “Of course, Mum”.

She drew him into a quick hug before he all but skipped into the living room.

One of her worse fears upon remembering had been that, underneath it all, Dev would have grown bitter and depressed over the years he had been taken from them, but no; he was still the same gentle, friendly boy they had raised.

By the time Joan came down, Dev was lost to anything but his music. “Ah, Mum, you got your child slaving away so you can listen to Christmas carols again?”

Win just smiled.

Sam and Fred soon followed, Dev eventually stopping to join them for breakfast. Just as they were done, the phone rang.

“I’ll get it” Joan said immediately when both Dev and Fred sprang into action., “Don’t worry, I will let you know which one they need.”

Win was afraid this meant that one or both of them would be forced to solve a case on Christmas of all days, but Joan soon came back. “It was Sally – meant to tell you all is well.”

Win had grown quite fond of the young lieutenant. She was such a help to Dev.

He visibly relaxed. “Not that I expected anything to happen” he hastened to say, “But you never know…”

Fred’s expression suggested he had been thinking along the same lines.

* * *

The day passed quietly and enjoyably; Win was happy just having all of her loved ones around her, the children sang to Dev’s playing, there were games and laughter, and finally it was five pm, the time Peter had promised he’d come along. He’d insisted on staying at the Guard headquarters until then.

When the door bell rang, Dev was the first to arrive. Win followed him and watched him draw his best friend into a hug with a smile on her face.

“Peter!” she followed her son’s example. “So glad you could come.”

“Yes – well –“ flustered as always when she bestowed affection on him (They would cure him of that soon enough) he blushingly presented her with a bottle of wine. “Oh thank you, dear. Come on in; everything’s ready.”

Dev murmured something in Peter’s direction she couldn’t understand, but it made him smile so she let it slide.

* * *

Dinner was, even if she said so herself, excellent. She delighted in the smiles of all. Even Peter was slowly losing his shyness, and Dev looked happier than she had seen him since he’d come back to them.

It was wonderful.

After dinner, there were games and charades of course, and one more impromptu concert from Dev; and when she and Fred retired, they left the others to yet still more laughter and cheering that she knew meant Dev (and probably Peter as well) had decided to entertain Joanie and Sam with magic tricks.

* * *

It hadn’t taken her long to come up with presents for the children. With all of them working at the Guard now, knitting scarves with small badges on them had been a no-brainer. And Dev had always loved the clothes she’d sewn for him (not that she had had any choice but to do so in the bad old times).

She slept later than she’d wanted to and surprised Dev and Peter making breakfast (well. They had certainly made most of it, although she knew for a fact the table wasn’t usually busy setting itself when she arrived). “Oh dears, you didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s Christmas Mum, even you are allowed to relax” Dev told her cheekily, while Peter just shrugged and looked away.

* * *

Peter had never had a family Christmas. As a matter of fact, he had barely had any proper Christmas before Dev came along, and even then, their celebrations were usually a little bit subdued until the rest of the Guard came along (and rightfully so – after all, Dev missed his family terribly).

The point was, Peter had little experience as to how to react when Mrs. – when Win presented him with a present, beaming with joy.

Nor could he have spoken if he wanted to, his throat closing when he saw the scarf.

“Look at that” Joan laughed, “We’re all matching! Basically we’re carrying cards that say “ _If found, return to the Guard_.””

“Not even a bad thing” Dev mused, thankfully, having realized that Peter wasn’t capable of speech right now.

Their eyes met and he felt their bond, strong and comforting between them.

When he was a child, Peter had often imagined being part of a family, and he couldn’t help but think that this was what it must feel like, sitting under the tree and listening to the Thursdays’ laughter.


End file.
